Hey to all,

Below is a response that we got from our training team and pharmacists regarding a question posted by a forum member titled depression/bipolar. The original post was deleted so we are posting this here for your information.

We strongly recommend that you urge your friend to approach us herself, as we would like to investigate the situation further before making a judgement and prefer not discussing her case publically without her consent.

It is very important to remember that if any abnormal reactions occur after starting any different diet or exercise program or medication and nutrition supplementation program, one should stop the program immediately and consult their physician for advice. This also applies to the Tony Ferguson Weightloss Program.
TF promotes that anyone on prescription medication should advise their medical practitioner of changes in their dietary / lifestyle modification so that their condition can be monitored & medications adjusted accordingly.    

In response to your emails, here are a few rectifications to clarify important points about the Tony Ferguson Weightloss Program and explain the rationale behind the mood stabilising effect of ketogenic diets:

-          The Tony Ferguson Weightloss Program is a low carbohydrate eating plan, not a no carbohydrate diet. The daily intake of carbohydrate is between 70g and 120g per day. Each meal replacement sachet contains 28g of carbohydrates and each piece of fruit contains between 5 to 25g of carbohydrates. The minimum 3 cups of low GI vegetables provide another 15 to 30g. The medical profession recommends a minimum of 50 g of carbohydrates a day for healthy kidneys and brain function. The Tony Ferguson is well above that range.

-          The Atkins diet on the other hand, has an induction period where the patients are recommended to consume only 20g of carbohydrates per day, which is quiet extreme and significantly less than the Tony Ferguson program amount.
This causes the body to function in starvation mode, which means that body fat is used as the only source of energy. Within 2 weeks the brain starts to use ketone bodies as a main source of energy (rather than blood glucose in normal carbohydrate intake). This transition period can cause extreme mood variations in some cases.

-          Ketogenic diets are carbohydrate reduced eating plans which encourage the production of ketone bodies. Ketone bodies are the naturally occurring waste produced from burning fat. The Atkins diet , the Ketogenic System, any reduced carbohydrate eating plans,  and the Tony Ferguson Weightloss Program all result in the production of ketone bodies because they promote fat burning. The degree to which they promote the production of ketone bodies is critical however, and needs to be monitored (by urine analysis) if the carbohydrate intake is below the recommended 50g (which is not the case for the TF program).
The scientific literature shows that a ketogenic diet has a mood stabilising effect due to the regulation of blood sugar levels, and is recommended for bipolar and epileptic conditions. On a high carbohydrate diet, blood sugar levels swing all day long due to insulin spikes. This has severe effects on moods and depressive conditions. On carbohydrate reduced eating plans, where energy from food is balanced between low GI carbohydrates, protein and fats, the blood sugar levels are regular, without spikes and therefore moods stabilise greatly.

References are available on request for any of the above information. We encourage you to read sound and evidence based information on this topic.